Give Me One Reason
by Princess Whizbee
Summary: Sequel to A Taste for Adventure. Tumnus kissed Lucy, but is that enough reason for her to break her engagement to Prince Aidan?


_A/N: This story is the sequel to "A Taste for Adventure," also posted here on I recommend that you read that one first, or you might feel a little lost on some elements of this one._

**Chapter 1**

**"I'm too old to go chasin' you around"**

Lucy was frustrated. For some time, she had been pacing in front of the sitting room window that looked down into the garden, occasionally stopping to stare out it. "Susan, I need some advice," she said suddenly, startling Susan out of the book she was reading.

"What is the matter?" asked Susan. She marked her place in her book and set it aside. It wasn't often that Lucy asked Susan for advice. Peter was the one she usually ran to.

Lucy stopped pacing and faced her. She took a deep breath and said, "I don't know if you are aware that a few days ago, Mr. Tumnus kissed me."

Susan tried not to look shocked, and failed. "Oh…really?"

"Yes." Lucy started pacing again. "Just after the battle with the rebel centaurs. We were both so happy that neither of us were hurt--well, _he_ was hurt, but I healed him…and then he kissed me. And I've been trying to ask him about it for the last three days, but he keeps avoiding me. It's very tiresome."

Susan wanted to be sure she had a full understanding of the situation. "What is it exactly you want to ask him?" she asked slowly.

Lucy sighed. "Do I have to spell it out for you? I want to ask him if he kissed me because…he was _relieved_ or if…he loves me." Her cheeks flushed.

Susan gasped. "Lucy, need I remind you that you are _engaged_?"

"Oh, bother that," said Lucy, waving a hand dismissively.

"No!" Susan stood up. "No, Lucy, you cannot say 'bother that' to being engaged. You made an agreement to marry Prince Aidan, and you cannot dismiss that just because somebody kissed you!"

"It's not _some_body, it's Tumnus!" said Lucy.

"Do you love him?" Susan shot back.

"I'm…not sure. I care for him very much. He's been my closest friend for years."

"And do you have reason to believe he loves you, other than this kiss?"

Lucy thought about it. There were so many little things that showed how he cared for her--the way he smiled at her, little touches, their jokes and teasing, how he had tried to protect her from the rebels, even with cracked ribs--but did it add up to love?

No one had been in love with her before, that she knew of, so it was hard to know what it looked like. Prince Aidan certainly didn't love her. He was kind, but their marriage was planned for political reasons. She had barely gotten to know him thus far.

"I don't know," she finally said to Susan. "But I would like to find out."

Susan squeezed Lucy's hand. "You asked for my advice, so here it is," she said. "Forget about the kiss." She held up a finger to silence Lucy's protest. "From what you tell me, I believe Mr. Tumnus' kiss was an impetuous act brought on by the emotion of the day. You had both had a perilous night, you were relieved at being safe and well, and he expressed his happiness in a…more _familiar_ way than was proper. He's probably been avoiding you because he's embarrassed about it." Lucy looked unconvinced, so Susan continued. "Also, he's a well-mannered faun, so knowing that you're engaged, I'm sure he realizes--"

"I--didn't actually tell him about that yet," Lucy broke in.

Susan stared at her. "You haven't _told_ him? Why on earth not?"

"Well, I haven't had the chance to see him very often these past few months."

"But you _have_ seen him, and you _have_ talked to him. How much of a chance does it take to say, 'By the way, I'm engaged'?"

Lucy flounced away to the window. "Maybe I didn't _feel_ like it, all right? I like to forget about politics when I'm visiting Tumnus."

Susan sighed. "Look, I know you're not excited about marrying Prince Aidan. But Peter says he's a wonderful man, and he believes you two will be a good match. You trust Peter's judgement, don't you?"

"Yes," said Lucy. She watched as drops of rain began to collect on the window.

Susan continued. "I believe that you and Prince Aidan will grow to love each other, and one day you will be very glad you agreed to this alliance."

Lucy gave her a half-hearted smile. "I hope you're right." She allowed Susan to hug her, then turned back to the window to watch a faun hurry inside, seeking shelter from the rain. As she watched, she made a decision. She would give him a chance--tomorrow--to make clear his love for her, if it existed. But if Susan was right…then that would be the end of it.

Susan was right about one thing. Tumnus was embarrassed about the fact that he had kissed Lucy. Not _sorry_. Oh, no. He would cherish that moment forever. But after learning that she was engaged…well, he had almost decided not to come to Cair Paravel. However, it would have been rude to refuse King Edmund's invitation, and Lucy would have come looking for him--at least, he hoped she would have--so he had packed his bag and made the journey as promised.

So far, it hadn't turned out to be much of a vacation. He didn't want to speak with Lucy until he had decided what to say about their last encounter. His ideas so far were either lies ("It was the heat of the moment, foolish of me, it'll never happen again") or proposals of wild abandon ("Whoever he is, forget him, Lucy my love, and run away with me!") and neither of those seemed like quite the right tack. Consequently, he had been avoiding Lucy, and he was learning that she was a hard one to avoid when she wanted to talk to you. He had become acquainted with numerous closets and alcoves in the castle from ducking out of sight whenever anyone who he thought might be her was approaching. It was very tiresome.

On the evening of his third day at the castle, he received a message in his room. "Queen Lucy invites you to a private tea in her chambers at four o' clock tomorrow afternoon," the note said. Fear gripped Tumnus' stomach. The hour of reckoning was at hand.

"What will I _say_, what will I _say_," he muttered, pacing back and forth. His hooves clicked on the marble floor, and the sound grated on his nerves. He threw himself on the bed and raked his fingers through his hair. "Oh, great Aslan," he whispered. "If you can hear me, help!"

Almost immediately, an unnatural peace settled over him. Then he heard a voice that was not like a voice. It seemed to come from inside him, like a thought, but the idea was not his. The voice said, "Tell the truth."

Tumnus gasped. "But--what if she doesn't feel the same way?"

Again the voice-from-inside spoke. "Do you love her for herself, or for what _you_ stand to gain from it?"

Tumnus saw what the voice, the voice of Aslan, he guessed, meant. It would be selfish of him to lie about his feelings in order to save his pride. It would also be selfish of him to press Lucy to abandon her fiancé, whoever he was, in favor of Tumnus. It would be better to simply let her know that she was loved. Not _easy_…but better.


End file.
